Interviews: Bob Saliba

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Melodic Power Metal/Progressive Folk Metal/Hard Rock artist Bob Saliba from France. Check out this band and follow him on his FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, did you plan it or come out just like that? 

I have been searching for a solo band name for years, and every name on my shortlist was already taken by another band somewhere in the world (just have a look on the Encyclopaedia Metallum website). Friends then suggested I should use my own name.  Stan W. Decker, who is also French proposed a great logo, so I decided to use this option.

2. Why did you want to play this genre? 

It's something I've wanted to do for a number of years, and I wanted to break all the boundaries in terms of musical style, musicians, and guests. I really wanted to create a world of my own, without the compromises you might find in a band.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?  

Between guests and live members, I already knew more than half of them from previous bands or projects. At first, there was talk of a studio project when John Macaluso (Ark, Malmsteen, Jennifer Batten, TNT...) invited me to sing 3 Ark tracks at a masterclass in Marseille. With all my other parallel groups, I wanted to do something different with a certain number of guests. So I composed and wrote the songs and then joined John in Italy to record the drums. Finally, each guest sent me their recordings: Roland Grapow (Masterplan , Helloween), Ricky Marx (Now or Never, Pretty Maids), Alessandro Lotta (Rhapsody), Jo Amore (Nightmare, Joe Stump Tower of Babel and my bandmate in Kingcrown), Nicolas Leceux, Ludovic Favro, Roberto Billi and the 2 musicians from the 2 studios where I recorded, mixed and mastered the record: Tom Abrigan and Bruno Pradels. And 2 years ago, as my project became better known in my area, a concert organiser asked me to be an opener for the band FM, so I put together a local live team made up of musicians who were very close to me: Eric Luvera (my bandmate in Debackliner) and Anthony Saliba (my own brother) on guitars, Seb Chabot on bass (my bandmate from Galderia) and our new drummer PG Silvy. We're doing 2 concerts over the next 2 months, the live team is super motivated and I'm busy putting the finishing touches to the 2nd studio album.

4. Each band member's favorite band? 

I'm a fan of Iron Maiden, Savatage, Ark, Angra, and Symphony X, to name but a few heavy metal bands, but there are so many others, that I can only name my favorite live line-up:

Eric: AC/DC,

Anthony: The Beatles

Seb: Gamma Ray

PG: In Flames. You see, there's quite a bit of eclecticism.

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs? 

Lyrically, I'm mainly interested in science, societal phenomena, our relationship with the divine, our relationship with the passage of time, and life's struggles... that's what's on this 1st album. My next album will deal with the injustice of abducting children and depriving them of their fathers: a macabre phenomenon caused by the prevailing feminist ideology in courts dealing with separation and child custody. Musically speaking, I'm constantly and naturally inspired wherever I am, as long as I have a stringed instrument in my hands.

6. Where was your last gig? 

I've been able to tour Europe with my various bands over the last few years. As my solo project is just getting off the ground, we're starting to scour the venues in our area. We were able to open for FM in 2022 as a preview, long before the project was established as such with the definitive album and line-up. Our next 2 concerts are on April 25 and May 16.

7. Where would you like to act?  

We'd like to support a band directly inspired by our influences and scour the festivals that are interested in our universe.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?  

Potentially everyone on an artistic level, as long as it's on a human level...

9. Whom not? 

So far I haven't met anyone in the business who's put me off so much.

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?  

It's something we've all mastered pretty well, and everyone has already had good stage experience. The fact that we're always trying to do things right sometimes makes us a little tense, but as soon as we start playing, it's the communion with the audience and the positive vibrations that quickly take over. 

11. What bands have inspired you the most? 

I'll list the heavy melodic bands that are among my influences, as well as 70s prog, Californian rock, and folk music from my Celtic, Greek, Oriental, and Latin origins.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for? 

If you only knew...

13. What do you think of your fans?  

I've got the best fans I can find! but still too few lol

14. What do you think of our site?

Damn well done and ultra complete! you can see the real passion behind it all. It's thanks to people like you that we can get the word out about our creations. Many thanks for all you do for artists!

15. Something add? 

Thank you for your interest in the project and all those who follow your work! A big thank you also to all those who support us and work in the shadows: Bad Dog Promotions, my label FTF Music, my management, and my co-production Vinyles Times. It is also to them that we must pay tribute